Harpies
"Wretched beast, I know who it is you serve. Return to your master. Tell the God of War that I am his no longer." - Kratos Harpies are a very common enemy seen in the God of War series. They are monsters with the heads of bald, deformed women, and the bodies of bats. They usually appear in large groups to attack Kratos. Individually weak, they can easily overpower Kratos as part of a group attack. They attack by biting and slashing Kratos with their fangs and talons. In addition, it was the harpies that delivered the Blades of Chaos to Kratos. Greek Mythology A Harpy, or Harpies, are creatures from Greek myth. Their name means "snatcher" and they are depicted as being part bird and part woman. In the ''God of War'' series God of War: Chains of Olympus In God of War: Chains of Olympus, there are smaller, younger versions of these beast called Harplings, that Kratos encounter in his journey through Underworld. Kratos also encounters flocks of Cursed Harpies in places throughout the Underworld, including Asphodel and Tartarus. They appear and fight similar to the standard Harpies, except they are slightly stronger. ''God of War'' Harpies are the infamous servants of God of War, Ares, who once brought his gift, the Blades of Chaos, to Kratos. In game, he encounters them the first time while protecting his fleet from Hydra and the undead. Kratos can easily kill them by grabbing them, throwing them to the ground, and ripping off both of their wings. Later in the game, he encounters more of them as a part of Ares' army. It was the harpies who spotted Kratos in the Pandora's Temple and alerted Ares, who then took immediate actions against Kratos. ''God of War II'' The beasts reappear, as well as new, slightly stronger types later on in the games, including a fiery version encountered in the Underworld called the Hades Harpy. Cursed Harpies appear as well, sporting dark, gray leathery hides. They are exactly the same as a regular Harpy in attack and flight capability. They also ocassionally appear in large flocks during the points in the game when Kratos rides the Pegasus. There are then one or two other moments when Kratos fights them on foot, as he makes his way through the Island of Creation. ''God of War III'' In God of War III, Kratos will encounter a lot of harpies protecting the Gods. Though they are addressed as simply being "Harpies" they possess a powerful, radial dive bomb attack that is similar to that of a Fire Harpy from previous games. There is also a stronger version called a Harpy Queen which Kratos can use as grapple points. Species Harpy Queen Unlike their lesser Harpy counterparts, Harpy Queens can actually be of use to Kratos. Once within range, Kratos can use his blades to grapple onto a Harpy Queen, and then take control of it. On ocassions, grappling Harpy Queens is the only way for Kratos to cross large gaps. Once you reach the other side of a gap, and jump, Kratos will also rip the Harpy Queen in half, effectively killing it. At certain points, however, Harpy Queens respawn, in case Kratos is in further need of their 'service'. On certain ocassions, a Harpy Queen will perhaps be out of Kratos' reach, and will not even notice the Spartan warrior. When this happens, Kratos must first 'agitate' the Harpy Queen by shooting it with the Bow of Apollo. Once struck by the arrows, the Harpy Queen will begin flying towards Kratos, and into the reach of his Blades of Exile. Fire Harpy Fire Harpies are a more advance version of the standard Harpy. They have pretty much the same strength and attacks, plus a new ability in which they become on fire, and deliver a dive bomb attack at Kratos from above. Kratos can kill them the same way he kills standard Harpies. Hades Harpy Hades Harpies are an enemy seen throughout the God of War series. Usually seen in the Underworld, these creatures are similar to a Fire Harpy in health and attack capability, but they also appear to be covered in flames. Kratos can kill them the same way he can kill standard Harpies. In God of War, Kratos encounters them as he crossed the Path of Hades to escape the Underworld. In God of War II, he deals with them as he climbs Atlas, and also at spots around the Phoenix Chamber in the Palace of the Fates. Cursed Harpy Cursed Harpies are a type of Harpy seen throughout the God of War Series. They are encountered in the depths of the Underworld, particularily in the depths of Tartarus and in the Temple of Persephone, and in the skies above the Island of Creation. Their attacks are identicle to the standard Harpies, and Kratos can kill them by the same means. Harpling More commonly known as "baby Harpies", they appear as a small bird-like creature, attacking Kratos by swooping and diving at him in flocks. They mostly appear in the Temple of Helios. Kratos can kill them by grabbing it, throwing it to the ground, and stomping on it with his foot. There's also a stronger version Kratos faces later on called a Cursed Harpling. Cursed Harpling These are similar to the standard Harpling, except they are stronger, and have a more vicious appearance. Kratos encounter flocks of them in places such as Asphodel and the Temple of Persephone. Their attack styles are the same as that of the standard Harpling, and are killed in the same way as well. Harpy Widow Harpy Widows' bodies are entirely icy. They appear in flocks, and reside primary upon Mount Aroania. They can attack Kratos not only by swooping at him, but by blowing their icy mist as well. This mist, if not properly avoided, can freeze Kratos, leaving him susseptable to other attacks. Fire Harplings These small fiends are very similar to the standard Harplings, except that their entire bodies are engulfed in searing flames. They often appear in large flocks, and attack Kratos by flying over him, and deivering a dive-bomb attack from above. Like the standard Harplings, Kratos can kill these foes by grabbing them, throwing them to the ground, and stomping them to death with his foot. Trivia *In an early trailer for God of War III, there is a point when Kratos grapples on a Harpy. Though the Harpy looks quite different from the Harpy Queens in the actual game, the way Kratos controls it and rips it apart is very similar. *In the Deleted Levels video for God of War, it was revealed that the Harpies originally acted like the Undead Legionnaires, but were redesigned to be more of a small, quick "annoyance type" enemy. Category:Enemies Category:Monsters Category:God of War Category:God of War III Category:God of War II Category:God of War:Chains of Olympus Category:God of War Series